, 1887-05-12
A CHICAGO SHARP.
MICHAEL CASsluS MCDONALD AND
HIS FAMOUS STORE"
Career Of Man who Has Long Been
tho B.g Boss OF the Metropolis of the
west--His shrewdness In Evading tho
consequences OF His Work.
Especial Correspondence.l

CHICAGO, April 20.
When these wild western officials go into
the public plundering business they are
almost as picturesque as their cousins ger
man--the train robbers and stage coach stop
pers of the plains. Some OF the men now on
trial In Judge Tuley's court have had inter
esting careers, too. Take, for instance, this
rather tall, compactly built man, sitting on
one Of the court room benches and watching
che proceedings with keen eye. His name
is McDonald-Michael Cassius In full, but
generally called Mike for short He Is not
under indictment, but his brother Edward Is,
and Mike Is here In court 70 look after his
brother Eds welfare. 1his same Mike is one
of the best known most notorious men In the
west For several years he has carried the
sobriquet Boss Of Chicago, and he has well
deserved the title. But let us take look at
him. We note the peculiar beard growing
down his chin and upon the front part Of his
neck-worn that way, 'tis said, to conceal an
old scar-the restless black eyes, the air 81
confidence, and the hard lines of selflshness
and tyranny. He is an active man, mentally
and physically, one who jerks out his sem
tences short and sharp--a cynIc, an unsympa-
thetic man cold, cruel and slippery. His figure,
carelessly dressed, Is surmounted to-day by a
hig slouch hat, tomorrow by q shining silk
tile.
Mike Mcdonald Is much more than mil.
lionaire. Twenty years ago he was train
boy on the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy
and Grand Trunk roads. He was a good
train boy, too--quick, shrewd and courteous
He made money and saved it. Then he came
to Chicago, started q liquor store, bought a
gambling house and combined the two. His
place was known a. "The Storer-the most
famous gambling house In the west Just
now the carpenters are busy converting ~The
Store" into tailor shop, and the abandon.
ment of this notorious den, which Mcdonald
sold out a year or two ago, fittingly marks
the downfall Of the gang which has 80 long
ruled the politics and government of Chicago.
In that saloon, or on the street in front of it,
four men have been killed and many others
wounded, and here thieves and despera-
does have long resorted. William Pink
er'ton, the detective, used to sit
around in this establishment, seemingly
because he liked the associations to be found
there, but really for the purpose of studying
the faces OF criminals aud gathering points con-
cerning their plans and operations. This was
the school to which old Allan Pinkerton sent
his promising son, and it was a good one.
Singularly gifted for leadership and in
trigue, Mcdonald soon became the boss of the
gamblers II terms were to bo made with the
authorities by which police raids could I've
prevented, Mike was the man to make them.
II "inhuence" was to be procured, Mike was
the man to get it. From leadership among
the gamblers to power in politics was an easy
step In fact, the two came hand in hand,
and for eight years Mcdonald has been a
political boss almost as absolute In power a.
Tweed was In his palmiest days.
For years no gambling house proprietor
has been able to keep open doors in Chicago
without first making his peace With the boss.
In the courts, too. he found the means Of ac-
mated by his orders were elected TO the bench.
In signing innumerable bail bonds for bad
men caught in the nieshes Of the law he made
much money and many political followers.
As soon as Mike became recognized as
boss he could do almost anything. There was
magic in his name. Men feared him and
courted his favor. He acquired almost auto
cratic power over the city council, and cor
porations seeking franchises found it neces-
sary to see him before anything could be
done. The better to utilize his oppor-
tunities in this direction he started a
street car line to which his council
gave for the asking immensely valuable fran
chises, so valuable that the road, ON which
only 5000, 900 had been expended, was sold a
few days ago for more than 81 100000. In
the great court house, where now there is
such quaking, it was the same. The boss
tools were either appointed or elected to Office,
and his authority over tue board Of commits
sioners, many of whose members are now on
trial. was almost absolute. His friends and
favorites were given the fattest contracts